Guide for Passengers: Accessible Bus Service
Under the Greyhound Agreement

Greyhound promised to improve its accessible bus service as
part of a settlement agreement with the Department of Justice.
The agreement resolves a series of complaints filed under the
Americans with Disabilities Act.

This guide explains how you can get accessible bus service
under the agreement between now and October 1, 2001. As of that
date new Department of Transportation regulations will require
Greyhound to provide accessible, lift-equipped service on demand
with 48 hours' notice.

Greyhound is starting to put more accessible buses on the
roads and to train Greyhound's bus drivers and other workers
to provide accessible bus service (for example, through the operation
of lifts, other boarding devices, and disability awareness).
Until all the buses are in service and all the drivers are trained,
Greyhound will not be able to meet all requests for accessible
bus service. By April 1, 2000, however, Greyhound will guarantee
lift-equipped bus service to and from all of its destinations,
except in a very limited set of circumstances.

For accessible bus services, please call the Greyhound ADA
Hotline: 1-800-752-4841 or 1-800-345-3109 (TDD). Call at least
48 hours (two days) before you want to travel. Greyhound may
need to call you back to make final arrangements.

What to Expect Before April 1, 2000

If you call Greyhound's Hotline at least 48 hours in advance
of your travel --

1. You may be able to travel on a lift-equipped bus with trained
personnel, if;

- You are traveling along a route where lift-equipped buses
are regularly scheduled. If so, then Greyhound must provide a
lift-equipped bus, except in "excusable circumstances,"
as explained below.

- You are traveling along a route where lift-equipped buses
are not regularly scheduled, but Greyhound is still able to provide
a lift-equipped bus with reasonable effort. At first, Greyhound
will not be able to meet all of these requests, but lift-equipped
bus service will improve as April 1, 2000, approaches.

(You can get off the bus and get back on at each designated
rest stop and meal stop if you wish.)

2. You may be able to travel with the assistance of station-based
lifts or boarding devices if your travel plans include locations
where these devices are available or can be deployed within 48
hours. If so, then Greyhound will provide such assistance, except
in excusable circumstances.

3. You may have to be carried onto and off of a bus, if Greyhound
is unable to provide a lift- equipped bus, station-based lift,
or boarding device.

"Excusable circumstances" include, for example:

- A bus or lift suddenly breaks down,
- There is an unforeseen lack of trained personnel,
- There is an unusually high demand for services, or
- It would be very costly to provide service in a particular
situation.

In these situations, Greyhound will not have to provide accessible
service.

What to Expect Between April 1, 2000 and October 1, 2001

Greyhound will be operating "Access Greyhound."
With at least 48 hours' notice Greyhound will guarantee lift-equipped
bus service from and to all of its locations, except in "excusable
circumstances" (as explained above). Even in those excusable
circumstances, Greyhound must still provide other boarding assistance.
Also, as of October 2000, the new Department of Transportation
regulations will require companies like Greyhound to ensure that
all new buses that they purchase or lease will be lift-equipped.
Ultimately, but not later than October 28, 2012, all over-the-road
buses operated by companies like Greyhound will be lift- equipped.

What to Expect After October 1, 2001

New Department of Transportation regulations require that
as of October 1, 2001, companies like Greyhound must provide
lift-equipped bus service on 48 hours' notice at every location
that they serve. Ultimately, after all buses become lift-equipped,
passengers will no longer have to provide 48 hours' notice to
travel with Greyhound.

In All Situations

If you don't give 48 hours' notice, Greyhound still has to
make a reasonable effort to provide an accessible bus, assistive
devices, or other boarding assistance. This means that Greyhound
can carry a passenger as a last resort.

Complaints

You can file complaints about Greyhound's bus service with
Greyhound, and Greyhound will investigate. You should file within
60 days of the incident.

You can also file a complaint with the Department of Justice.

If you file a complaint with either Greyhound or the Justice
Department, please try to provide as much information as possible,
including the bus number; driver's name; date, time, and location
of the incident; and the name of other Greyhound personnel or
other witnesses. The addresses for filing your complaint with
either Greyhound or the Justice Department are:

If you file a complaint with either Greyhound or the Justice
Department, you won't waive your legal rights unless you accept
compensation for the incident.

To get information about the ADA and your rights, call the
Department of Justice's ADA Information Line, 800-514-0301 (voice),
or 800-514-0383 (TDD), or visit our website, http://www.usdoj.gov/crt/ada/index.html.
You may also obtain a copy of the settlement
agreement from the website.

This document is available in the following alternate formats
for persons with disabilities --